THE ART OF QUESTIONING

"To solve a problem in just one hour, I would spend 55 minutes asking questions and the final 5 minutes solving them. Albert Einstein

A good mentor should spend 70% of his or her time asking and listening and the remaining 30% talking. The key is to know how to ask the right questions!

The question is a very powerful tool to make the entrepreneur think and reflect. At mentorDay we use questions throughout the programme and force the entrepreneur to reflect, synthesise by writing and then contrast by sharing in order to provoke maximum learning, receive feedback, make improvements, defend and resolve doubts... 

The key is to know how to ask the right questions, they have to be intelligent and powerful to move the entrepreneur! I recommend the excellent book "The Art of Asking" by expert María Luisa de Miguel (see+).

MORE TIPS TO HELP YOU

• THE DIAMOND OF TRUTH (+).

• THE ART OF MAIEUTICS (+).

• POWERFUL QUESTIONS (+).

• METHODS OF THE 5 WHYS (+).

The art of questioning is a fundamental skill in mentoring, as it allows the mentor to guide the entrepreneur through a process of reflection and discovery, and to help them find their own solutions and answers to their problems. Well-formulated questions allow the entrepreneur to explore their current situation, define their goals and find the best way to achieve them.

Here are some tips for asking effective questions in the mentoring process:

1. Ask open questions: Open questions allow the entrepreneur to answer in a broader and more detailed way, which provides valuable information to the mentor and helps to discover solutions. Closed questions can limit information and reflection.
2. Ask thought-provoking questions: Thought-provoking questions are those that lead the entrepreneur to think about his or her experiences, feelings, perceptions and assumptions. These questions can start with phrases such as "How do you feel about it?", "What do you think caused that?" or "What are your assumptions about this situation?".
3. Ask questions that challenge the current situation: The mentor should ask questions that challenge the entrepreneur's current situation, in order to get the entrepreneur to think of creative and unconventional solutions. These questions can start with phrases such as "What if" or "How could you solve this differently?
4. Ask questions that show interest: The mentor should ask questions that show genuine interest in the entrepreneur and his or her situation. These questions can start with phrases such as "How are you today?", "How have you progressed since our last meeting?" or "How is this affecting you?".
5. Ask questions that are relevant: Questions should be related to the issue under discussion, and should help clarify and deepen the entrepreneur's understanding of the problem. Irrelevant questions can distract the entrepreneur from the main issue.

In summary, the art of questioning in mentoring is a fundamental skill that allows the mentor to guide the entrepreneur through a process of reflection and discovery. Well-formulated questions should be open-ended, thought-provoking, challenge the current situation, show interest and be relevant.

Open and closed questions

Open and closed questions are two types of questions used in mentoring and coaching to elicit information and stimulate the entrepreneur's critical thinking. Open questions are those that allow the entrepreneur to give a more extensive and detailed answer, as they are not limited to a yes or no answer. They are useful for obtaining more detailed information, exploring ideas and stimulating critical thinking.

EXAMPLES OF OPEN QUESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF MENTORING:

• How do you feel about the current situation of your business?
• What strategies have you considered to overcome the obstacle you face?
• How do you think you could improve the efficiency of your company?
• What are your main long-term goals and how do you plan to achieve them?

On the other hand, closed questions are those that require only a short and concrete answer, such as yes or no. They are useful to obtain precise and specific information and to verify the facts and ideas that the entrepreneur has presented. They are useful to obtain precise and specific information and to verify the facts and ideas that the entrepreneur has presented.

EXAMPLES OF CLOSED QUESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF MENTORING:

• Have you tried to implement such a strategy before?
• Are you sure this is the best option for your company?
• Have you considered other options to solve the problem?
• Are you satisfied with the results you have achieved so far?

It is important to note that there is no such thing as a good or bad question per se, it all depends on the context in which it is used. Both open and closed questions are important tools in the mentor's or coach's toolbox, and are used depending on the needs of the entrepreneur and the objective of the mentoring session.

A MENTOR CAN PRACTICE OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS:

1. Practice with a mentor partner: Find another mentor with whom you can practice asking open and closed questions. The two of you can swap roles of mentor and entrepreneur to practice asking questions that help you understand and advance the entrepreneur's goals.
2. Recording and analysing sessions: Record a mentoring session and listen to the recording carefully to identify what kind of questions you are asking: are they open questions that invite the entrepreneur to reflect or are you asking closed questions that limit their answers? Analyse the results and work on improving your questioning skills.
3. Prepare questions in advance: Before the mentoring session, prepare a list of open and closed questions to ask the entrepreneur. Make sure that the open questions are broad and the closed questions are designed to elicit specific information.
4. Live practice with an entrepreneur: Practice asking open and closed questions during a mentoring session with an entrepreneur. Ask the entrepreneur for feedback on how he/she felt about answering the questions and whether the questions helped to advance his/her goals.

EXAMPLES OF OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS:

• Open question: How do you feel about your company's progress so far?
• Question closed: Have you managed to increase your sales by 20% this month?
• Open question: What are the challenges you currently face in your business?
• Question closed: Are you currently using an email marketing strategy?
• Open question: How do you think you could overcome the current obstacles in your business?
• Question closed: Are you willing to spend more time on market research to better understand your customers?

I PRESENT A LEARNING METHOD FOR A MENTOR TO IMPROVE HIS OR HER ABILITY TO ASK POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS TO HIS OR HER ENTREPRENEUR:

1. Learn about it: Before being able to ask effective questions, it is important that the mentor has a thorough knowledge of the topic he/she is working on with the entrepreneur. Therefore, the mentor should spend time studying and understanding the different aspects of the business, market, customers, etc. that are relevant to the entrepreneur.
2. Practice active listening: The ability to ask powerful questions is directly related to the ability to listen actively. The mentor must be able to listen carefully to what their mentee is saying and ask questions based on that information. To practice active listening, the mentor can ask a friend or colleague to talk to them about a topic and try to listen carefully, ask questions based on what they are saying and repeat back what has been understood.
3. Create a list of questions: Once the mentor has a good understanding of the topic and has practised active listening, he/she can create a list of questions that are relevant to the entrepreneur and his/her particular situation. These questions should be open-ended, non-directive and designed to encourage reflection and self-analysis.
4. Practice in real-life situations: Once the mentor has his or her list of questions, he or she can start using them in real situations with the entrepreneur. It is important that the mentor makes sure to ask the questions at the right time and in a way that does not feel invasive or judgmental. Questions should be asked in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
5. Get feedback: The mentor should be open to receiving feedback from the entrepreneur on their questions. The entrepreneur can provide valuable information on how useful the questions were, whether they felt comfortable and whether they felt that they were helped to think more deeply about their situation.
6. It continues to learn and improve: The ability to ask powerful and effective questions is a skill that develops with practice and time. The mentor should continue to learn and improve his or her technique, always looking for ways to ask more useful and effective questions to help the entrepreneur move his or her business forward.

This learning method can help a mentor improve his or her skills in asking powerful and effective questions to the entrepreneur. Constant practice and a willingness to learn are key to success in mentoring.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS TO ASK AN ENTREPRENEUR

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS THAT A MENTOR MIGHT ASK AN ENTREPRENEUR TO HELP THEM REFLECT AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECT:

OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

• What is the main objective you are pursuing with your company?
• How would you define success for you and your company?
• What would you like to have achieved in a year from now?
• What are the main challenges you face in achieving your goals?

CURRENT REALITY

• How would you describe your company at the moment?
• What are the main obstacles you are facing at the moment?
• What is the main problem or challenge facing your company at the moment?
• What resources do you currently have to solve these challenges?

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

• What options have you considered to overcome these challenges?
• Have you considered any alternative strategies to address this problem?
• What other options can you think of to address this challenge?
• What are the pros and cons of each option?

ACTION PLAN AND FOLLOW-UP

• What concrete steps will you take to move towards your goals?
• How will you measure the success of your actions?
• How will you ensure that you are following the agreed action plan?
• What obstacles might you face along the way and how will you overcome them?

It is important to keep in mind that the questions should be open-ended and aimed at helping the entrepreneur to reflect and make decisions for him/herself. In addition, the questions should be based on active listening and understanding of the entrepreneur's reality.